ISLAMABAD  –  Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik and US Charge d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie A. Baker on Wednesday discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, particularly in oil, gas, and minerals.

During a meeting, Charge d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker highlighted the significant opportunities for American investment in Pakistan’s energy landscape. “There is a strong and growing interest from US companies in Pakistan’s oil, gas, and minerals sector, in line with the vision of President Trump,” she said. “The United States is committed to work with Pakistan. The US Embassy will actively facilitate direct linkages between American companies and their Pakistani counterparts in the exploration & production (E&P) sector to unlock this potential.”

According to a news release issued by the Ministry of Petroleum, Ali Pervaiz Malik welcomed the keen interest from US investors and detailed the upcoming opportunities. “The government of Pakistan is undertaking a bidding round for both offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration blocks, which presents a tremendous opportunity for international partners,” the minister said. “Pakistan holds significant untapped shale oil and gas reserves, and converting these indigenous resources into tangible reserves is a target of our government”. We are already engaged in a positive information exchange with US companies,” Ali Pervaiz Malik said.

Both commended the success of the recent “Direct Line” webinar, an initiative organized to connect US companies with opportunities in Pakistan’s mineral sector, citing it as a model for future engagement in Oil and Gas sector also. Charge d’Affaires Baker reinforced that the US-Pakistan had the counter terrorism dialogue, and now we would like to drive this partnership forward in the economic realm. The meeting ended with a joint commitment to deepen energy cooperation by leveraging US technology and investment to support mutual economic and energy growth.